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Summary

"This book does more than fill a gap; it provides the opportunity to give general readers and students deeper insights into the working lives, problems, cultural conflicts and citizenship affairs of ordinary New Yorkers." --Graham R. Hodges, Colgate UniversityThis is the first collection of primary sources by and about artisans in the early national era. In a number of ways it is as significant as the many volumes by the founding fathers that now grace library shelves because artisans were at the forefront of both the political and economic developments that would make this era so formative in American history. The documents illustrate the expectations spawned by the American Revolution within this sector of American society and the efforts of the artisans. It tells the colorful, dramatic, and hopeful, if ultimately disappointing story of their efforts, and the vital part they played in the shaping of American social and labor history.Howard B. Rock is Chairman of the Department of History at Florida International University. He is the author of Artisans for the New Republic: The Tradesmen of New York City in the Age of Jefferson.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations

List of Abbreviations

Preface

Introduction

PART ONE Citizenship

The Legacy of '76

1 Fourth of July Celebration, 1810

2 Fourth of July Oration, 1797

3 Fourth of July Oration, 1809

4 Anniversary Meeting of the Cordwainers Society, 1809

5 Cordwainers Display: Parade in Celebration of the Completion of the Erie Canal

6 Celebration of Lawrence's Victory: War of 1812

7 Artisan Celebrations of Peace Concluding the War of 1812

8 Preamble of Constitution of the Democratic Society of the City of New-York

9 Democratic Society of the City of New-York: Address to the Republican Citizens of the United States, May 28, 1794

Fraternity

10 Initiation Rites of the Mechanics Society

11 Mechanics Society: Report of School Committee, 1824

12 Mechanics Society: Report of School Committee, 1827

13 Mechanics Society: Motion Regarding Teaching at Mechanics School

14 Mechanics Society: Report of Apprentices' Library Committee

15 Fire Company Number 11: Journal (Minutes and By-Laws)

Keeping Up the Neighborhood

16 Petition of Inhabitants of the Seventh Ward for a New Market

17 Dangerous Street Conditions

18 Protest Against Slaughter House on Elizabeth Street (Sixth Ward)

19 Protest Against the Conduct of Nightmen

20 Protest Against Erection of School on Augustus Street (Sixth Ward)

21 Petition for Allowance of Swine in the Streets

22 The Evening Post on Swine in the Streets

Values

23 Drinking Habits of the Laboring Class

24 Blood Sports

25 The Perils of Drink

26 The Empty Lives of the Idle Rich

27 Satire on a Ruthless Landlord

28 On Vagrants

29 Artisan Ideals

30 On Marrying a Cooper's Son

A Woman's World

31 A Profligate Wife

32 On Taking Infants to Church

33 On Women's Right to Snuff

PART TWO Politics

The 1790s

34 Federalist Defense of Suffrage Restrictions

35 The Consequences of Suffrage Reform

36 The Keteltas Affair: On Federalist Arrogance

37 Federalist Persecution of the Tallow Chandlers

38 Stephen Allen: On Choosing a Political Party

Republican Ascendancy

39 Democratic-Republicans on Suffrage Reform

40 On Artisans and the Gentry

41 Federalist Aldermen and the Concerns of Artisans

42 On Federalist Coercion of Cartmen

43 Federalist Intimidation Tactics in a Mechanic Ward

44 Democratic-Republicans on Federalist Carpenter Stephen Rudd

45 Federalist Satire on Artisans and Republican Ideology

46 Defense of Stephen Rudd, Federalist Carpenter

The Embargo and the War of 1812

47 Democratic-Republicans on Patriotism and the Embargo

48 Stephen Allen on the War of 1812

49 Democratic-Republicans on Taxes, Sacrifice, and Patriotism

50 The Independent Mechanic on the War of 1812

51 Federalist Appeal to Artisans: Commerce Binds All

52 Federalists on Artisans and Democratic-Republican Taxes

53 The Examiner on the Folly of Democratic-Republican Loyalty

Factionalism and Independent Political Action

54 Factional Appeals to Artisans

55 For the Withdrawal of Artisans from Politics

56 For the Formation of a Mechanic Slate

PART THREE The Marketplace

The Workplace

57 Typical Baker's Expenses

58 Day Book of James Ruthven, Turner and Carver

59 Sadler's Home and Workshop: A Description

60 Baker's Oven for Shipbread

Means of Enterprise

61 Stephen Allen: His Business Career

62 New York Slate Company

63 Cooperative Venture: Blacksmiths' Purchase of Coal

64 Trade-Wide Price Structure: The Shoe Smiths

65 Violation of Trade-Wide Price Structure: Bookbinders

66 Advertisement: Mockasin Maker and Medicine

Banking and Credit

67 In Support of the Mechanics Bank

68 On Artisans' Need for the Mechanics Bank

69 Artisans' Support of Private (Exchange) Bank

70 The Difficulties of Collecting Debts: A Dialogue

Tariff Protection

71 New York Journeymen Hatters: For Protection

72 New York Brewers: For the Promotion of American Beer

73 Report of the House of Representatives Committee on Commerce and Manufactures on Memorials and Petitions

Monopoly and the Fear of Factories

74 Committee of the Common Council on the Regulation of Bakers

75 In Defense of the Bakers

76 On the Necessity of Regulating the Bakers

77 New York City Artisans: Organize against Monopoly

78 On Monopoly and the Destruction of Artisan Enterprise and Independence